A collaborative project between the University for the Creative Arts & the University of Kent

Wednesday, 17 August 2011

Lifecycle of a Mushroom: Animation development 1

I’ve been thinking more about how the animation is going to play out in conjunction with the music. One aspect of the track I don’t like is how it goes in the main belly of the music without much opportunity for an intro. I’ve been pondering how to ease the viewer into my 1920’s Jazz-inspired world.

I like the idea of a classic American prohibition radio newsreel announcer introducing the animation. He’s talking in cryptic terms about illegal havens of wild partying and debauchery but of course, he’s actually talking about Mushrooms. Then the music and animation starts.

The music probably predates the era of public radio by a few years or so but I don’t think it matters too much. I don’t intend for the animation to be historically accurate (scientifically accurate though!), but more to evoke the feeling of an era.

Here’s an example of the style I’d be going for:

Obscure reference, but this is only example I can think of right now where it’s used in a film. From the intro of Russ Meyer’s Faster, Pussycat! Kill Kill!

I think the animation should be in black and white, to evoke the era and the feeling of a classic animation. The Silly Symphony animation ‘The Skeleton Dance’ for example:

3 comments:

Just keep one eye on your designated audience, Tom - I'm sure they'll go wherever you want them to go and gladly, but it may be time to put together one of your thumbnail storyboards/animatics to put some of these ideas into action and confirm it's working. That said, the whole 'lifecycle of a mushroom' does seem to beg for this broad, stylised take - much more so than some of the other scenarios, and I think the rubber-hose/rubbery world of early animation will lend itself to what is already rather comedic about mushrooms! I strongly encourage you to put the music track to work alongside some images and let's see what sticks.